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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. club — for golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. degree — from a university
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. club — a group
  20. degree — an amount
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com